Built-in electric contact enclosure and mounting method

ABSTRACT

The mounting of an electric enclosure ( 1 ) for electric connector and switch embeddable in a piece of masonry work requires the connecting of electric wires ( 25 ) to an electrically conductive region or terminal inside the enclosure. The connection requires screwing in the enclosure wires by means of an intermediate part. To facilitate the mounting of these electric enclosures for electrical connectors and switches, the invention provides for the mounting of these enclosures by embedding by simple sliding of a sleeve ( 3 ) inside a housing ( 2 ) in such a way that the female terminals directly linked to the electric wires of the enclosure are in contact with the male terminals of the sleeve. The electric enclosure is dismantled by simply pulling from the sleeve towards the outside of the enclosure.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an embeddable electric contact enclosure andits associated mounting method. It is an aim of the invention tofacilitate the mounting and dismounting of such embeddable electricenclosures in a wall without the use of tools such as a screw-driver orscrews during the phases for mounting and dismounting these enclosures.A wall may be one within which a hole is made in order to embed theelectric enclosure of the invention therein. The invention is designedmore particularly for the field of electricity but can also be appliedto other fields. In the field of electricity, this electric enclosurecan be used especially to connect an electric connector to a currentgenerator source or this electric enclosure can be used to make a switchdesigned to set up an electric connection at request.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An electric enclosure has a housing and an electric device, providedespecially with a cover. The housing is designed to be inserted into awall. A wall may be vertical or horizontal. It may be constituted everymaterial used in the building industry (such as concrete, buildingblocks, stone and other rigid complex materials forming partition walls,formed especially by plaster partition slabs with cardboard ties). Thehousing is drilled with holes within which electric wires coming fromthe wall can be inserted. The electric device has a first side and asecond side. The first side is placed facing the housing. It is intendedthat the electric wires will get connected to this first side. In afirst example, it is intended that three electric wires will getconnected to this first side. The second side is placed outside thehousing. In the case of a housing designed to receive an electricconnector, this second side of the electric device and hence of thecover may comprise two conductive holes used to receive two plugs of anelectric connector. These two holes are directly connected to theelectric wires. The contact of the two plugs with a wall of the twoholes of the electric device directly connected with the electric wiresis enough to set up the electric connection. Or else the second side maycomprise a handle if it is a switch. In this case, the electricconnection is set up by pressing on the handle so as to connect theelectric wires.

In the case of an electric enclosure, designed to receive plugs of anelectric connector, the holes of the electrical device correspond tofemale terminals and the plugs of an electric connector are maleterminals that must fit into the female terminals. Such electricenclosures usually have two female terminals. The third male terminal isdesigned to serve as a ground connector.

In the case of the mounting of an enclosure designed to receive anelectric connector, three electric wires coming from the wall are firstof all placed inside the enclosure in passing through holes of thehousing. Then the wires are fixed to the three female or male terminalsof the electric device. To fix the three wires to the electric device ofthe switch and/or of the electric connector, it is necessary to grip thewires in the electric device by means of an intermediate part. Forexample, the intermediate part may be a screw connector, comprisingespecially a metal plate. The metal plate is electrically conductive.The screw is itself connected to a female or male terminal. To get thewire gripped in the electric device, the screw is screwed in.

In the case of the mounting of such an electric enclosure, electricbridges can be made in connecting another wire from the screw so as toform an electric series connection.

However, the connection of the electric wires to the electric device aswell as the connection of another electric wire necessitate the use ofsmall intermediate parts that are difficult to handle and liable toescape from their housing during mounting. Their handling as well as theuse of the screwdriver makes the mounting of such electric enclosures adelicate and difficult task.

Furthermore, an electric enclosure thus made is not compatible with anytype of electric connector. For example, an electric enclosure designedto receive an European type of electric connector cannot be used for theinsertion of an American rectangular electric connector. To accept anAmerican connector of this kind, it is necessary to use a bulky adapteror change the enclosure completely.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To resolve these problems of the mounting of such electric enclosures,the invention provides for a hollowed-out housing of a cylindricalcompartment. This cylindrical compartment is designed to receive acontact sleeve that gets fixedly embedded by sliding within thecompartment of the housing. This sleeve corresponds to the electricdevice of the electric enclosure described here above. However, in beingembedded inside the compartment of the housing, the sleeve according tothe invention makes an electric connection. The electric connection isformed by the contact of three plates connected to the three electricwires positioned at an internal periphery of a central space of thecompartment with three electrically conductive strips positioned on thesleeve. Within these connection spaces, the insertion of the electricwires does not necessitate the use of tools such as screwdrivers. Theelectric wires are inserted by hand within the connection space throughone face of a housing, from the wall up to the housing. The electricwire coming from the wall is inserted in such a way that it is in directcontact with one of the electrically conductive plates. Each plate couldthen be in direct contact with electrically conductive strips positionedon the sleeve.

In the invention, there is no longer any need to screw the wires bymeans of this intermediate part. It is only necessary to fixedly embed asleeve within a housing by sliding. The embedding is enough to set upelectric contact by the joining of the plates with the correspondingstrips.

To make the use of such an electric enclosure compatible with any typeof electric connector whatsoever, it is enough to embed a sleeve into ahousing by sliding and by elastic fitting, this sleeve being made withholes designed to receive plugs of a given electric connector.

An object of the invention therefore is an electric contact enclosurecomprising:

-   -   a housing provided with a hollow compartment, the housing being        embeddable in a hole in a wall, and    -   a contact sleeve designed to receive plugs of a detachable        electric connector, characterized by the fact that the contact        sleeve is cylindrical and is embedded by sliding inside the        compartment of the housing, the compartment too being        correspondingly cylindrical.

An object of the invention is also an electric contact housingcomprising:

-   -   a housing provided with a hollow compartment, the housing being        embeddable in a hole of a wall, and    -   a contact sleeve designed to form a switch, characterized by the        fact that the contact sleeve is cylindrical and is embedded by        sliding inside the compartment of the housing, the compartment        too being correspondingly cylindrical.

To facilitate the mounting of such an electric enclosure, the inventionalso comprises a method for the mounting of an electric enclosure,characterized by the fact that it comprises the following steps:

-   -   a housing is inserted into a wall,    -   three electric wires coming from the wall are made to slide into        three connection spaces of a compartment of the housing by holes        coming from a rear face of the housing,    -   a sleeve is fixedly embedded by sliding and then by being        elastically fitted into the interior of the housing, and an        electric connection is made during this embedding, and    -   a covering plate is fixed on to the housing

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be understood more clearly from the followingdescription and the accompanying figures. These figures are given purelyby way of indication and in no way restrict the scope of the invention.Of the figures:

FIG. 1 shows an embeddable contact electric enclosure according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of a housing of the electric enclosureaccording to the invention;

FIG. 3 a is a cross-section view, seen in the direction of insertion ofthe sleeve, of an electric enclosure according to the invention;

FIG. 3 b is a longitudinal section of a housing of electric enclosureaccording to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of an insertion of electricwires into a housing;

FIGS. 5 a and 5 b are diagrammatic representations of an installation ofelectric wires inside a housing;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic representation of a variant of a face of anelectric enclosure designed to be embedded in a wall according to theinvention,

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic representation of a variant according to theinvention,

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of a housing provided with meansof guidance according to the invention, and

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic representation of a housing provided withprotection tabs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AT LEAST ONE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

An embeddable contact electric enclosure 1 comprises a housing 2designed to receive a contact sleeve 3 that gets embedded inside thehousing according to the invention, FIG. 1. In the device of theinvention, the term “enclosure” refers to the unit formed by a housing 2and the sleeve 3. The housing 2 is designed to be definitively sealedinto the wall, for example in being run in with plaster. This sleeve 3comprises electric connection devices. These devices enable the electricconnection of the ends of electric wires coming out of the wall at theposition of the hole where the housing is located to terminals of plugsof a detachable electric connector, said plugs being temporarily made topenetrate the sleeve.

The housing advantageously has a square shape chipped off at thecorners, but could also have a circular cylindrical shape. The squareshape enables the accurate embedding of the housing 2 is in a reservedposition made by hand by means of a chisel or hammer in a hard material.The square shape also makes it fairly easy to withdraw the housing 4already embedded in plaster, for example by breaking the plaster with ahammer or screwdriver in order, as the case may be, to reposition thehousing at another place. The same method is used for the slidingtherein of a round housing made of the same materials.

The housing 2 is provided with a hollow cylindrical compartment 4,FIG. 1. According to the invention, the cylindrical compartment 4 iscentered within the housing and is preferably T-shaped. The cylindricalcompartment forms a central volume or central space 5. The housing alsohas an internal periphery 6 demarcated by the central space. An externalperiphery 7 is demarcated by the housing itself. The housing comprises adepth 8, a width 9 and a height 10.

According to the invention, the sleeve 3 gets fixedly embedded withinthe housing by sliding within the cylindrical compartment 4. To fixedlyembed the sleeve by sliding within the cylindrical compartment, thecylindrical compartment 4 has three cylindrical cavities 11, 12 and 13along its internal periphery 6, FIG. 1. The sleeve 3 correspondingly hasthree cylindrical protruding features 14, 15 and 16. The cylindricalcavities of the cylindrical compartment 4 are hollowed out on at leastone part of the depth 8 of the housing. In the preferred example, thecylindrical compartment 4 is hollowed out throughout the depth 8 of thehousing, FIGS. 1 and 2.

Each cylindrical cavity 11, 12 and 13 of the cylindrical compartment 4is provided with a partition 17, 18 and 19, FIG. 1. According to theinvention, the housing 2 has two tie-bars 20 and 21 connecting each ofthe partition walls 17, 18 and 19 to the external periphery 7 of thehousing. These tie-bars 20 and 21 demarcate a connection space 22, 23and 24 between each of the partition walls 17, 18 and 19 and theexternal periphery 7 of the housing, FIG. 2. Within each of theseconnection spaces 22, 23 and 24, there is inserted at least one electricwire 25, FIG. 4.

Each of the partition walls 17, 18 and 19 has an electrically conductiveplate 27, 28 and 29 respectively, said plates being located at a placeclose to a bottom 26 of the housing, FIG. 2. Each of the partition walls17, 18 and 19 forms a female terminal by means of the plates, FIG. 1.The sleeve 3 also has, correspondingly, three contact strips 30, 31 and32 designed to come into contact with the plates 27, 28 and 29. Thesestrips form male terminals. These plates 27, 28 and 29 can be affixed bybeing pushed in through a front face 33 of the housing into theconnection spaces 22, 23 and 24 respectively so that they are placed ata position close to a rear face 34 of the housing between the bottom 26and the partition walls 17, 18 and 19.

However, the connection spaces 22, 23, 24 may have relatively smalldimensions to enable handling operations in order to insert theelectrically conductive plates 27, 28 and 29. In one variant, tofacilitate the positioning of the electrically conductive plates in thehousing, it may be planned first of all to fabricate the cylindricalcompartment 4, and then place an electrically conductive plate orelectric connector on each of the partitions 17, 18 and 19 at a placedesigned to be dose to a rear face 34 of the housing and then affix thecylindrical compartment provided with these connectors to the bottom 26of the housing.

The housing has a front face 33 whose plane is perpendicular to thedirection of insertion of the sleeve 3 inside the housing, FIGS. 2 and 3b. The housing has a rear face 34 whose plane is parallel to the planeof the front face 33. The rear face 34 is designed to be in contact withthe wall and the front face 33 is destined to be at a distance from thewall. According to the invention, within the connection spaces 22, 23and 24 the housing has holes 35, 36 and 37 on the front face 33 andholes 38, 39 and 40 on the rear face 34 of the housing. These holes aremade in such a way that they have a size accepting the passage of onlyone electric wire 25 or several electric wires 25. These holes arepreferably made in such a way that electric wires inserted through theseholes can overlap one another in being parallel to one another insidethese connection spaces 22, 23 and 24.

The electric wire 25 is coated with a protective sheath (not shown). Tobe in contact with the plates 27, 28 and 29, the electric wire is atleast partially bared. To this end, fins 41, FIGS. 3 a, 3 b, 4 and 5,are presented inside connection spaces 22, 23 and 24. FIG. 4 shows twoelectric wires 25 and 42 bared by fins 41. Each connection space hasfour internal faces 43, 44, 45 and 46, FIG. 2. Each of these four faces43, 44, 45 and 46 is placed respectively on the tie-bar 20, on thetie-bars 21, on one of the partition walls 17, 18 or 19, and on theexternal periphery 7 of the housing. Two of these four internal facesare provided with fins. The fins 41 have cutting edges and are insertedon two opposite internal faces. For example, the two internal faces maybe the faces 43 and 44 located on the tie-bars 20, 21 inside theconnection spaces 22, 23 and 24, FIGS. 2, 5 a and 5 b.

The fins 41 are tiltable. They are made in such a way that they areliable to slice the protection sheath surrounding the electric wirebeing contact with the electric wire.

They get tilted in the direction of insertion of the electric wire aboutan axis perpendicular to the direction of insertion of the electricwire. The fins can be tilted in such a way that they are inclined withrespect to the faces 43 and 44, FIG. 4. Thus, after the connection wirehas been inserted inside the connection space 22, 23 or 24, it will beenough to pull perpendicularly and in the direction opposite to thedirection of insertion of the electric wire for the fins 41 to pull awaya part of the protective sheath of this same electric wire. The at leastpartially bared electric wire may then be in direct contact with theplate 27, 28 and 29.

If, during the mounting of such an electric enclosure according to theinvention, an electric wire is placed in a connection space that is notappropriate, then the electric wire can be withdrawn from thisconnection space without being sliced by the fins. To do this, since thefins are tiltable, it may be planned to have a device (not shown)connecting the fins. This device has a hook (not shown) made in such away that, by the shifting of this hook, the fins get folded down in thedirection of insertion of the electric wire towards the fin insertionface.

In one variant, the fins may also be electrically conductive and may beconnected to the plates 27, 28 and 29 in such a way that, when the finsslice the protective sheath of the electric wire, they enable indirectcontact between the electric wire and the plates.

In another variant, the fins present on the insertion faces 43 and 44may form a slicing blade 106 and 107 respectively, FIG. 7. Severalblades may be present. For example, a blade may be placed at each cornerformed by the faces 43 and 45, the faces 45 and 44, the faces 44 and 46,and the faces 46 and 43. These blades may be inserted along alongitudinal axis relative to the direction of insertion of the electricwire. Each of the blades widens from the front face 33 up to the rearface 34 in such a way that the protective sheath of the electric wire issliced up to the electric wire proper, at a position of the blades thatis close to the rear face 34, this position corresponding to a placewhere the blades are the most widened.

According to the invention, the housing is hollowed out with at leastone space 47 partially going round the cylindrical compartment 4, FIG.2. This space 47 is hollowed out on at least one part of the depth 8 ofthe housing. In one example, the housing 2 has three spaces 47, 48 and49. These spaces are hollowed out throughout the depth 8 of the housing.The housing 2 has four sides 50, 51, 52 and 53, FIG. 2, with a width 9and a depth 8. Each of the four sides has a plane perpendicular to thefaces 33 and 34. Each of these sides may be provided with at least oneprecut passage 54. Three precut passages 54, 55 and 56 are shown in FIG.2 on the sides 51, 52, 53 respectively. These precut passages have acircular shape but could be rectangular. These precut passages are madein such a way that they allow at least three electric wires to be takenin. These precut passages 54, 55 and 55 are laid out at a position ofthe housing 2 in such a way that they open out into the space 47, 48 and49, FIG. 2.

In one example, the sides 50, 51, 52 and 53 may have a width 9 of 45millimeters and a depth 8 of 41 millimeters. On the external periphery7, the housing may also comprise uneven features in relief (not shown)in order to offer high adhesion to expansive foam or other binders, forthe sealing of the housing into the wall. In one example, the sides mayinclude slideways (not shown). These slideways are rails. Not only dothese slideways enable the creation of rough features for improvedadhesion to the wall but they also enable the combination of thehousings with one another by simple sliding on the rails. By simplesliding, several electric enclosures according to the invention couldtherefore be horizontally or vertically aligned relative to a planeperpendicular to the plane of the wall during different combinations,without causing hindrance to a covering of the enclosures with a plateor decorative piece (not shown).

To insert a sleeve 3 designed to receive an electric connector or asleeve comprising a switch mechanism, the cylindrical compartment 4 hasan extension 57 used as a keying feature. This extension 57 is hollowedout from the central space 5 and is placed on the internal periphery 6of the cylindrical compartment 4. Preferably, along a cross section ofthe housing, FIG. 3 a, this extension 57 is a rectangular shape with alength 58 by 10 throughout a depth 8 of the housing. However, thisextension 57 could have another shape. The length 58 is variable anddepends on the type of enclosure chosen. In one example, the extension57 will have a length 58 of 10 mm for the mounting of an enclosuredesigned to receive an electric connector. In another example, theextension 57 will have a length 58 of 12 mm for the installation of aswitch.

The sleeve 3 has a shape slightly smaller than the shape of thecompartment 4 and has the same depth 8. In the case of an electricenclosure designed to receive an electric connector, FIG. 1, the sleeve3 has two holes 59 and 60 and an elongated protruding feature 61corresponding to a ground. The three strips 30, 31 and 32 of the sleeveare positioned respectively on a wall of the hole 59, on a wall of thehole 60 and on the protruding feature 61 corresponding to the ground.Each of the holes 59 and 60 is designed to receive a plug of adetachable electric connector (not shown). The three strips 30, 31 and32 of the sleeve 3 corresponding to the three main terminals arepositioned in such a way that they are arranged so as to be facing thethree plates 27, 28 and 29 corresponding to the three female terminalsof the housing during the insertion of the sleeve 3 within thecompartment 4 of the housing 2.

In order to be consolidated, the housing 2 has at least onereinforcement piece 62 joining two sides of the housing. In one example,FIG. 2, the housing has four reinforcement pieces 62, 63, 64 and 65.

The insertion of the sleeve 3 into the compartment 4 is achieved byelastic fitting or by clipping on. The term “elastic fitting” refers tothe fact of inserting the sleeve 3 by sliding inside the compartment 4and then holding this sleeve 3 fixedly within the compartment 4. Thissleeve 3 can be held fixedly within the compartment 4 by fixing means.These fixing means may be small protruding features formed on a rim ofthe sleeve and designed to co-operate with a groove hollowed outcorrespondingly on the internal wall 6 of the housing.

It may be planned to fixedly embed the sleeve 3 by sliding it inside thecompartment 4 in ensuring that the sleeve is fixedly embedded inside thecompartment 4 for a pull strength of the sleeve that is greater thananother pull strength of an electric connector. In one example, a pullstrength of the sleeve according to the invention may be designed to beover 20 kg while a pull strength of an electric connector is usuallydesigned to be about 5 kg. The fixing means could be made in such a waythat they cooperate with one another at least up to a strength thatwithstands pulling forces of 20 kg. Thus, the strength with which anelectric connector is removed from the electric enclosure according tothe invention does not risk pulling the sleeve away from its housing.

A spring 66 FIG. 3 b is laid out at the bottom 26 of the housing so asto favor the withdrawal of the sleeve during the dismantling of such anenclosure according to the invention.

In one variant, FIG. 6, it may be that the face 34 is not flat. It mayhave a recess 67 hollowed out in it to facilitate the insertion ofelectric wires into the housing. Thus, the electric wires coming fromthe wall could get folded freely in the recess 67 so as to getaccurately inserted into the housing.

The method of mounting an electric enclosure designed to receive anelectric connector is carried out as follows. A hole is hollowed outinto the wall by means of a bell saw. This hole is made in such a waythat it allows the insertion of the embeddable electric enclosureaccording to the invention. The housing is first of all inserted intothe hole of this wall. Electric wires coming from this hole are thenplaced in the recess 67 and inserted into the housing in passing by theholes 38, 39 and 40 present on the rear face 34. The electric wirescould also penetrate through the front face 33 of the housing in passingby the precut passages 54, 55 and 56.

The electric wires 25 are slid by hand into the space of each connectionspace 22, 23 and 24. A simple push using the strength of a finger issufficient to force the insertion of these wires into the connectionspaces and flatten the fins 41. The force of the fingers and thepresence of the fins in the connection spaces is enough to position thewire accurately before a plate 27, 28 and 29. The full insertion of thewire is ensured when the electric wire has shifted a flexible rod 68fixed to one of the two internal faces 43 or 44 inside the connectionspaces 22, 23 and 24 and placed in a position that is closest to thehole 38, 39 or 40 and/or a position that is closest to the hole 35, 36and 37 following the insertion of the electric wire 25 by the rear face34 or by the front face 33. In shifting, the flexible rod 68 has slidbeneath a rigid rod 69 fixed on a face opposite to the preceding one 43or 44. In one example, the flexible rod 68 is fixed to the face 43 andthe rigid rod 69 is fixed to the face 44, FIGS. 5 a and 5 b. The slidingof the flexible rod 68 towards another side of the rigid rod 69 isperceived by a sound signal.

Then the wire is withdrawn slightly in the direction opposite to thedirection of insertion of the wires so that the fins 41 can tend to getpositioned perpendicularly relative to their site where they are fixedin order to slice the protective sheath. The slicing of the sheath meansthat the at least partially bared electric wire can be in direct contactwith a plate 27, 28 or 29 or in indirect contact by means of fins.

Then the sleeve 3 is fixedly embedded by sliding within the compartment4. It is fixed by elastic fitting or by being clipped on. The electricconnection is set up by bringing the plates 27, 28 and 29 closertogether or by bringing the connectors corresponding to the femaleterminals into direct contact with the electric wires with the strips30, 31 and 32 corresponding to the main terminals designed to be indirect contact with the plugs of the electric connector.

The clipping on has the advantage of enabling the sleeve to be withdrawnwith relative ease. The sleeve 3 can be withdrawn by being pulled byhand along a direction perpendicular and opposite to the wall. Asmentioned here above, a pull strength of the sleeve relative to anenclosure intended to take an electric connector could be designed to bea strength greater than or equal to 20 kg.

To prevent the sleeve from being possibly pulled out in a directionopposite to the place in which the sleeve is inserted, the housing 1 canthen be closed by a cover plate (not shown). This cover plate is made insuch a way that it gets positioned in partially covering the sleeve andcovering the rest of the housing. This cover plate covers the sleevepartially in such a way that the holes 59, 60 and protruding feature 61are accessible to an electric connector. This overlapping plate is fixedby means of a male pin (not shown). The male pin is inserted into acavity 70 by elastic fitting. To this end, the male pin cooperates withthe cavity hollowed out in the housing in such a way that the male pinhas a shape complementary to the shape of the cavity. The male pin canbe inserted by hand into the cavity by embedding without any need fortools such as for example a screwdriver. As in the case of the sleeve 3embedded inside the compartment 4, it may be planned to have a pullforce for the cover plate greater than or equal to 20 kg. In oneexample, FIG. 1, the housing has four cavities 70, 71, 72 and 73 presentat four comers of the housing 2.

The method for mounting an electric bridge to connect two electricenclosuress is performed as follows. A first enclosure is first of allmounted as described here above. After the insertion of the first wirecoming from the rear face 34 or front face 33 of the housing in each ofthe connection spaces 22, 23 and 24, a second wire is inserted throughthe front face 33 of the housing in these same connection spaces. Thisother wire is positioned in the same way inside the connection space 22,23 or 24 through the hole 35, 36 or 37 on the face 33. Inside theseconnection spaces, the wires then overlap in such a way as to be incontact. The electric wires that get inserted through the front face 33of the housing are then led toward the exterior of the housing. Thewires come out of the end through the holes 35, 36, or 37 and then passthrough grooves 74 and 75 designed for this purpose, FIG. 2. The grooveshave a size wide enough to allow three electric wires to slide therein.These grooves are hollowed out in the tie-bars 20 and 21, close to thefront face 33 of the housing at the place in which the connection spacesare located 22, 23, 24, between the external periphery 7 of the housingand the partition wall 17, 18 and 19.

Then each wire comes out of the housing through the precut passage 54,55 and 56. Each of the wires or all the wires together can be joined soas to pass through a single precut passage. In one example, FIG. 1, theelectric wires can come out by the passages 54, 55 and 56 located on thesides 51, 52 and 53 respectively. The wires coming out of the firstenclosure can then meet a second enclosure and get inserted in eachconnection space designed for this purpose on either one of the faces 33and 34.

For the installation of an electric enclosure on the switch, electricwires are installed inside the housing 2 as described here above. Thenthe sleeve 3 is inserted inside the cylindrical compartment 4. In thisprecise case, this sleeve has the switch mechanism setting up contactbetween the wires upon command applied through pressure on a handle.

Thus, to adapt a given electric connector to a universal electricenclosure, it will then be enough to dismantle the enclosure. Thedismantling of such an electric enclosure will consist in removing thecover plate from the housing and removing the sleeve from thecylindrical compartment of the housing, by pulling it along an axisperpendicular to the playing of the wall, in order to insert thereinanother sleeve, corresponding to a desired electric connector, byelastic fitting.

The electric enclosure may comprise guidance means 100, 101, FIG. 8. Theguidance means 100, 101 may be designed to orient the electric enclosurerelative to a plane formed by the ground. Preferably, these guidancemeans enable the housing to be oriented with two opposite sides of thehousing, each forming a plane perpendicular to the plane formed by theground. These guidance means are located on the housing and are made insuch a way that they can be broken after fixing to the plaster of thehousing in the hole. These guidance means enable the housing to beoriented when the plaster used to fix the housing in the hole is not yetdry. When the plaster is dry and the enclosure is positioned in adesired location relative to the plane formed by the ground, it is thenenough to break these guidance means with a hammer or screwdriver.

These guidance means may be a first guidance arm 100 and a secondguidance arm 101, FIG. 8. These guidance arms may be fixed to a firstside and to a second side of the housing. Preferably, these guidancearms 100 and 101 are fixed on two opposite sides. In the example shownin FIG. 8, the first guidance arm 100 and the second guidance arm 101are fixed respectively to the side 51 and to the side 53 of the housing2. These guidance arms form right angles by which they can rest on andget secured against the wall near the hole hollowed out in the wall. Theguidance arms are preferably fixed to a central part of the housing andextend from the side corresponding to the housing in a directionopposite that of the housing and along a direction perpendicular to aplane formed by the side 51 and the side 53. These arms are fixed to aside of the housing while extending and going over the front face 33 insuch a way that the front face 33 forms a plane surface in continuitywith a plane formed by the wall once the enclosure is placed in thehole. A level gauge can then be positioned along an axis on which thetwo guidance arms are positioned to adjust the orientation of theenclosure along the axis on which are located the two arms parallel tothe plane formed by the ground.

To protect the electric wires, tiltable protection tabs 102, 103 and 104may also be placed on the housing 2 in order to block the holes 35, 36and 37 respectively of the connection spaces 22, 23 and 24 once theelectric wires are inserted therein, FIG. 9. These tabs are fixed to thefront face 33 of the housing in the vicinity of the holes 35, 36 and 37.In the example of FIG. 9, the tabs are fixed to the outer ring 7 of thehousing. However the tabs could be placed on the inner rim 6 or on oneof the tie-bars 20, 21. These tabs are designed to fold down (asrepresented by an arrow in FIG. 9) while tilting about an axis 105, saidaxis 105 being formed along a ridge of the housing.

1. An electric contact enclosure comprising: a housing provided with ahollow compartment, the housing being embeddable in a hole in a wall, acontact sleeve designed to receive plugs of a detachable electricconnector, wherein the contact sleeve is slidably embedded inside thecompartment of the housing, and wherein the compartment iscorrespondingly complementarily shaped to accommodate receipt of thecontact sleeve, wherein the contact sleeve comprises three contactstrips and the housing comprises three electrically conductive plateseach in direct contact with a corresponding one of a plurality ofelectrical wires extending into the housing and each in direct contactwith a corresponding one of the three conductive plates; and wherein thecompartment comprises three communicating cavities each provided with apartition demarcating a connection space designed to each receive oneend of a corresponding one of the electrical wires, separated by a mainspace designed to receive the contact sleeve, and wherein the contactsleeve comprises, correspondingly with the partitions, three protrudingfeatures, and wherein a part of each partition is formed by acorresponding electrically conductive plate.
 2. The electric enclosureaccording to claim 1, wherein the compartment comprises an extensionserving as a keying feature at an internal periphery of the peripherythereof, the extension comprising a rectangular shape with a length ofabout 11 millimeters extending throughout a depth of the housing, alonga cross-section of the housing.
 3. The electric enclosure according toclaim 1, wherein in the connection spaces, the housing comprises holeson a front face and holes on a rear face of the housing, the holesconfigured to accept the passage of a single electric wire andpreferably being such that electric wires inserted through these holesare parallel to each other inside the connection spaces.
 4. The electricenclosure according to claim 1, wherein the connection spaces areprovided with fins inserted into two opposite internal faces, the finsbeing tiltable and tilted relative to a direction of insertion of anelectric wire.
 5. The electric enclosure according to claim 1, whereinthe housing is hollowed out with at least one space partially extendingaround the compartment, each space being preferably provided with atleast one precut passage.
 6. The electric enclosure according to claim1, wherein the housing comprises tie-bars between the partitions and thehousing, the tie-bars comprising grooves, having sizes that arepreferably large enough to allow three electric wires to slide insidethem, and being located close to a front face of the housing.
 7. Theelectric enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the contact sleeve andhousing are configured to permit removal of the sleeve from the housingand further comprising a switch sleeve comprised of a switch and havingthree protruding features each having a contact strip that is receivablein the housing compartment in the housing with each protruding featureof the sleeve received in a corresponding one of the communicatingcavities and each contact strip electrically connecting with acorresponding one of the electrically conductive plates of the housingwhen the switch sleeve is inserted into the housing compartment.
 8. Theelectric enclosure according to claim 1, further comprising a means ofguidance and orientation relative to a plane formed by the ground. 9.The electric enclosure according to claim 1, further comprising tiltableprotection tabs about an axis formed along an edge of the housing, eachof the tabs being designed to plug a hole of a front face of thehousing, and wherein at least one electric wire being intended to beinserted through this hole.
 10. The electric enclosure according toclaim 1, wherein the compartment is centered inside the housing.
 11. Theelectric enclosure according to claim 10, wherein the compartment isT-shaped.
 12. A method of mounting an electric enclosure, comprising:providing a wall-fixable housing having three spaced apart electricalwire connection spaces disposed therein and each in communication withan electrical conductor disposed therealong with each wire connectionspace with a corresponding opening in a rear face of the housing withthe wire connection spaces located alongside a compartment configured toreceive an electrical plug-accepting sleeve carrying a plurality ofspaced apart electrical contacts each configured for making anelectrical connection with an electrical of an electrical plug;inserting the housing into a wall, sliding each one of three wirescoming from the wall into a corresponding one of the three wireconnection spaces in the housing through corresponding openings in therear face of the housing, sliding the sleeve into the interior of thehousing such that each electrical contact of the sleeve makes anelectrical connection with one of the electrical conductors of thehousing, thereby forming an electrical connection, and fixing a coveringplate onto the housing.
 13. The method of mounting according to claim12, further comprising: inserting three other wires into each of theconnection spaces through holes on a front face of the housing, andmoving the wires out of the housing through precut passages in thehousing.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the compartment comprisesan extension serving as a keying feature at an internal periphery, theextension along a cross-section of the housing and the extensioncomprising a rectangular shape with a length of between 10–12millimeters along a cross-section of the housing.
 15. The method ofclaim 12, wherein the compartment comprises three communicating cavitieseach provided with a partition demarcating a connection space designedto receive ends of electrical wires, separated by a main space designedto receive the sleeve, the sleeve comprising, correspondingly with thesepartitions, three protruding features.
 16. A method of the mounting theelectric enclosure according to claim 12, wherein the sleeve and housingare configured to permit removal of the sleeve from the housing and themethod steps further comprising providing a switch sleeve carrying aplurality of spaced apart electrical contacts, removing theplug-accepting sleeve from the housing, and thereafter sliding theswitch sleeve into the housing compartment.
 17. An electric contactenclosure comprising: a housing comprising a hollow cylindricalcompartment, the housing being embeddable in a wall, a contact sleevedesigned to form a switch, wherein the contact sleeve is cylindrical andis embedded by sliding inside the compartment of the housing, whereinthe contact sleeve comprises three contact strips and the housingcomprises three electrically conductive plates in direct contact withelectrical wires into the housing and the three contact strips; and thecylindrical compartment comprises three communicating cylindricalcavities each provided with a partition demarcating a connection spacedesigned to receive ends of electrical wires, separated by a main spacedesigned to receive the contact sleeve, and the contact sleevecomprises, correspondingly with the partitions, three cylindricalprotruding features, and a part of each partition is formed by thecorrespondingly electrically conductive plate.
 18. The electric contactenclosure of claim 17, wherein the housing comprises protection stubstiltable about an axis formed along an edge of the housing, each of thestubs being designed to plug a hole in a front face of the housing andat least one electric wire being intended to be inserted through thehole.
 19. The electric enclosure of claim 17, wherein the cylindricalcompartment is centered inside the housing.
 20. The electric enclosureof claim 17, wherein the cylindrical compartment is T-shaped.
 21. Theelectric enclosure of claim 17, wherein the cylindrical compartmentcomprises an extension at an internal periphery of the cylindricalperiphery, the extension preferably possessing, along a cross-section ofthe housing, a rectangular shape with a length of between 10 and 12millimeters extending throughout a depth of the housing.
 22. Theelectric enclosure according to claim 17, wherein the housing comprisesholes in a front face and in a rear face of the housing that communicatewith a corresponding one the connection spaces with the holes configuredto each accept passage of a portion of at least one electric wire suchthat electric wires inserted into the holes extend parallel to eachother inside the connection spaces.
 23. The electric enclosure accordingto claim 17, wherein the housing is hollowed out with at least one spacepartially extending around the cylindrical compartment and with at leastone precut passage.
 24. The electric enclosure according to claim 17,further comprising tie-bars disposed between the partitions and thehousing with the tie-bars comprising grooves disposed adjacent a frontof the housing that are large enough to allow insertion of threeelectric wires.
 25. The electric enclosure according to claim 17,further comprising connection fins disposed in each connection spacethat extend outwardly from two opposite internal faces with the finstiltable toward an incoming electric wire being inserted therein. 26.The method according to claim 25 wherein one of the sleeves insertedinto the housing during step (d) is removed and the other one of thesleeves is thereafter inserted into the housing.
 27. A method ofmounting an electric enclosure comprising: (a) providing awall-embeddable housing comprised of three electrically conductiveplates each disposed in a wire connection bore formed in the housinglocated adjacent a hollow compartment formed in the housing thatincludes three slots, an electrical connector sleeve receivable in thehousing compartment and having three flanges that are each receivable inone of the slots of the housing compartment, and a switch sleevereceivable in the housing compartment and having three flanges that areeach receivable in one of the slots of the housing compartment; (b)inserting the housing into a wall; (c) inserting an insulated electricalwire into each one of the wire connection bores in the housing withinsertion causing the electrical wire to make electrical connection withan adjacent one of the electrically conductive plates in the housing;(d) inserting one of the sleeves into the housing compartment with eachelectrical contact of the sleeve forming an electrical connection withone of the electrically conductive plates in the housing along alongitudinally extending region of overlap between therebetween; and (e)attaching an exteriorly located covering plate to the housing.
 28. Anelectric contact enclosure comprising: (a) a wall-embeddable housingthat includes an elongate longitudinally extending compartment formedtherein having three outwardly extending channels imparting a generallyT-shaped cross section thereto and an elongate electric powerwire-receiving bore formed therein extending alongside each one of thecompartment channels with the housing and that comprises an electricalconductor disposed in each wire-receiving bore electrically contactingan exposed electrically conductive portion of an electric power wirereceived in the wire receiving bore; (b) a sleeve insert having aplurality of electrical connector plug receiving bores formed thereinand three outwardly extending flanges imparting a generally T-shapedcross section thereto and comprising an electrical contact carried byeach flange and in electrical communication with an electrical connectorplug received in a corresponding one of the electrical connector plugreceiving bores; and (c) wherein the sleeve insert is removablyreceivable in the compartment in the housing with each one of theelectrical contacts of the sleeve insert overlapping and electricallycontacting a corresponding one of the electrical conductors of thehousing when the sleeve insert is removably received in the compartmentin the housing.
 29. An electric contact enclosure comprising: (a) awall-embeddable housing that includes an elongate longitudinallyextending compartment formed therein having three outwardly extendingchannels imparting a generally T-shaped cross section thereto and anelongate electric power wire-receiving bore formed therein extendingalongside each one of the compartment channels with the housingincluding a plurality of spaced apart wire insulation engaging finsextending outwardly into each one of the wire-receiving bores and thatcomprises an electrical conductor disposed in each wire-receiving boreelectrically contacting an exposed electrically conductive portion of aninsulated electric power wire inserted into the wire receiving bore; (b)a sleeve insert having a plurality of electrical connector plugreceiving bores formed therein and three outwardly extending flangesimparting a generally T-shaped cross section thereto and comprising anelectrical contact carried by each flange and in electricalcommunication with an electrical connector plug received in acorresponding one of the electrical connector plug receiving bores; (c)wherein the sleeve insert is removably receivable in the compartment inthe housing with each one of the electrical contacts of the sleeveinsert electrically contacting a corresponding one of the electricalconductors of the housing when the sleeve insert is removably receivedin the compartment in the housing; and (d) wherein wire insulationengaging fins in a corresponding wire-receiving bore engage insulationof an insulated electric power wire during its insertion into thecorresponding wire-receiving bore causing exposure of an electricallyconductive portion of the wire that thereby contacts the electricalconductor associated with the corresponding wire-receiving bore.